What On Earth Are You Doing?
by SherlockingTheHobbitsToAsgard
Summary: Martin has come to apologise but in a very unconventional way. Part 2/3


Tap! Tap! Tap! The small stones skittered against the glass of Rowan Lear's window. She lived above a shop which meant the window was two stories up, but Martin was still desperate to catch her attention in this unconventional way. He waited a few seconds before throwing a few more small stones. Behind him, he had caught the attention of a woman in a black duffel coat and a man with a pushchair and two small children who were standing at the bus stop. They watched him interestedly as he started to shout up to the house.

"Rowan!" He called. When she still hadn't appeared, he threw a larger stone and shouted even louder. "Rowan!" He grinned inanely when a figure appeared behind the glass and started to lift the window up. He gave a raucous cheer when Rowan poked her head out to see who was barraging her house and the people at the bus stop gave him a thumbs up. Rowan was looking down at him like he was from another planet.

"Martin, what the Hell are you doing?" She shouted down to him. Martin grinned.

"I came to apologise!" He declared, then he waved a hand cheerily. "Hello!" Rowan rolled her eyes and leaned her elbows on the window frame to get comfy; she knew she would be here for a while.

"Why didn't you just knock on the door?" She called despairingly. A thoughtful look came over Martin's face like he'd forgotten how he'd arrived at this point before he threw his arms wide.

"This is how they do it in the films; I thought you'd prefer it this way." He bellowed, obviously proud of himself. Rowan narrowed her eyes.

"You thought wrong." She replied, rather dampening his bright smile.

"Oh." Martin said. His shoulders slumped momentarily as he thought for a moment. Then his smile reappeared and he raised his arms again. "Anyway-" Rowan suddenly noticed the amused looks of the people waiting for a bus (which had now grown to a crowd of 6 people) and how wobbly Martin was on his legs and groaned.

"Martin, are you drunk?" She asked. Martin paused and she nearly smiled at his expression. She thought perhaps he was trying to look cool and sophisticated whilst also trying to hide the fact that he was also, yes, very drunk.

"Douglas may have given me a shot or two of something to calm my nerves." He admitted whilst trying to give her the same sort of look she'd expect Danny Zuko to give a girl. Rowan slapped a hand to her face and groaned.

"Oh, God." She muttered as Martin started talking again.

"The reason I'm here is-"

"To apologise, yes, myself and all of Putney High Street know why you're here." She shouted down. It was embarrassing enough that she and Martin were having this conversation but it was 10 times worse that they had to shout to each other so the whole street could probably hear them.

"Yes, to apologise." Martin agreed, obviously not put off by the titters of the bus stop crowd (now 9 people and one Cocker Spaniel) and passersby. "Rowan, I should never have said those things. I was stupid and I need you to forgive me." He begged, his hands clasped together like a badly acted Romeo. Rowan rested her elbows back on the window and put her head in her hands.

"Martin, I don't think this is as romantic as you think it is." She replied in a tired voice. Martin's expression turned grim.

"Well, I didn't think this was romantic at all so God only knows how you're seeing this." He replied. This made Rowan look up. His words had sounded a lot more like the normal, fidgety, non-drunk Martin she knew. Perhaps finally getting to the crux of the matter had sobered him up a bit. This idea was supported by the honest expression on Martin's face as he continued. "Bottom line is, I was stupid. As usual. I wasn't thinking. And if I was thinking I wasn't thinking clearly because my mind was foggy with the thought that after all this time, you actually liked me." He sighed. "I'm so used to being overlooked and laughed at and then suddenly, you came along and... You noticed me." Rowan felt her heart lift in her chest as Martin smiled dreamily. "You laughed with me, not at me and you thought I was funny and you hugged me and cared about me and... That's never happened to me before. And if you never want to see me again then I understand and I'd comply, I would. You'd never hear from me again." He said seriously. Then he thought about it a bit more. "Except at work." He added. He looked apologetic at his realisation. "So basically every day." Rowan couldn't help but smile slightly as he shook his head to get rid of his digression. It also seemed to amuse the people at the bus stop who had let 3 buses go past so they could stay and watch. "Anyway, in theory, you'd never have to see me because all I want in life is to make you happy and if that means not seeing you again then fine." Rowan watched as all the happiness and light drained from his face. She didn't want to not see him every day and apparently the thought was just as terrible to Martin. He took a step forward and he looked more serious than she'd ever seen him. "But the problem is, see, that I love you." He told her, much to the delight of the people at the bus stop and to the people who had stopped on their way to work and the shops to watch. "I love you so much and I can't bear to see you sad. So I'd make a point of seeing you so I could cheer you up just like I always do. So, please, forgive me." Rowan closed her eyes and in a mock weary tone replied,

"Martin, we had one argument." She opened her eyes again and shook her head despairingly. "Now I know why your previous relationships have been so short lived." She realised, much to the embarrassment of Martin who had to shush the bus stop-ees. "If you think you need to come throwing stones at my window and confessing your love for me after every argument then you need to have a few lessons on relationships." She added. Then she beamed down at him genuinely. "But I suppose I love you too." She laughed at the way Martin's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he took a few stumbled steps forward.

"What, really?" He asked, as completely shocked and happily surprised as the people at the bus stop. Rowan laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, you big idiot." She told him, shaking her head. Martin let out a drunken whoop of joy and Rowan quickly closed the window. She hurried across the living room, into the hall then down two flights of stairs, tripping a few times on the corner steps. She sped down the long corridor to the front door and pulled it open. She saw Martin, still looking up at the window worriedly and stepped outside, one foot still in the doorway so she wasn't locked out. Martin beamed at her and quickly gathered her up in a hug so tight she thought she might burst. He pulled away slightly and Rowan took her chance, crushing her lips against his fervently. She pulled away when she heard the collective 'ooo-oooo-ooo's of the people at the bus stop who were finally boarding a bus and she rolled her eyes at them. "Shut up." She yelled good-naturedly before she took Martin's hand and led him upstairs.


End file.
